Mr Monk & The Glaring Truth
by Puddin' Pop and his Jacks
Summary: Monk is facing a glaring truth that he refused to face after Trudy's death. He really never thought he would ever have to even dream that he would have these feelings ever again. Set in Season Four - so Natalie is very much in it.


**TITLE: **_Mr. Monk & The Glaring Truth_

**SUMMARY: **_Gail Flemming returns with some glaring truths too throw into Adrian Monk's face. Will he be able to handle it or will it drive him future into his OCD? _

**SEASON: **_Four _

**MAIN CAST OF CHARACTERS:**

_Adrian Monk_

_Natalie Teeger_

_Gail Flemming_

_Julie Teeger_

_Sharona Flemming_

_Benji Flemming_

_Leland Stottlemery_

_Randy Disher_

_Trudy Monk_

_Doctor Kroger_

**CHILDREN'S AGES: **_Julie: 14 Benji: 13 (It helps to keep the kids in the early teenage years for this story. Plus I'm making Julie one year older than Benji)._

**CATERGORY: **_Friendship/ Hurt/Comfort/ Family/ Drama/ Angst/ Tragedy/ Spiritual/ Suspense/ Crime/ Romance_

**RATING: **_T_

**PRELUDE**

**A RASH OF ANGER THAT STARTS MONK ON THE TAIL**

"... and so that is why Nathaniel Pennyworth is the murderer. I truly blame it on the unnecessary, and truly criminal placement of the magnet on the lamp post." Monk frowned darkly at said lamp post. "It was the complete disregarded too the public with a magnet that brought his murdering ways out."

"How is that Mr. Monk?" Natalie asked trying too keep the smirk from her lips.

"If Nathaniel Pennyworth didn't give into the temptation that _first _time; than he would never have walked the murder road." Monk explained with a dead panned face, and voice.

Stottlemeyer scratched his nose. "Can't wait to hear this one." He said with a scratchy voice.

"You should really take care of that cold of yours, Leland." Monk turned to his friend and former partner. "You need to remain on sti ..."

"Enough Monk." Stottlemeyer waved his hand. "Now I want to hear your crack pot reasoning behind the magnet on the lamp post."

Monk frowned as he looked at his old friend. He finally sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "It doesn't matter."

"Hell Monk, why do this?" Stottlemeyer groaned under his breath. "Just tell us about the magnet otherwise I'm going to have Randy on my back for the rest of the shift."

"It's more than a simple cold isn't it?" Monk gently said. "It's much more serious than that."

"It's just a cold Monk. It'll be out of my system in two weeks time." Leland sighed, than ended up in a deep coughing fit. Monk's right hand shot out and Natalie placed the packet of tissues in his waiting hand. He pulled out two and silently handed them over to the recovering coughing man. He waited until Leland finished blowing his nose; which took half of the packet; before starting to hand over hand wipes for Leland to clean himself up. "Thanks." Leland said as he finished putting the last wet wipe in the baggie that Monk was holding out.

"Have you seen the doctor yet?" Monk asked as he handed the baggie over to Natalie.

"It's just a cold, Monk." Leland sighed. "Yes, I have seen my doctor. He says it's a serious cold; one that should clear out of my system in a months time. Two weeks if I took medical leave." He frowned. "I don't have much medical leave; and I want too use it on the important things. Not on a cold. Don't worry Monk; I do rest when I can; I don't try to overwhelm myself. It's just these homicides that get my stress levels up."

"Then why don't you call Mr. Monk on all of them for the month?" Natalie said. "Have Mr. Monk solve them quickly, and you don't get stressed."

"The SFPD don't have the money to pay Monk's fee on every murder. Do you realize how many murders I get called a day – a hour?" Leland looked straight into Natalie's eyes. "I'm not trying to be a hard ass here; Natalie. I _do_ want Monk back on the force – I _do_ want Monk back as my partner. But, he's not ready yet." _You aren't ready yet._

"I agree with Leland." Monk calmly said.

Natalie swung her eyes over to stare into Monk's eyes. "Why are you trying to let Captain Stottlemeyer try to talk you out of your dream, Mr. Monk."

"He's right." Monk shrugged his shoulders. "Until I finally solve Trudy's murder – I can't return to the SFPD full time."

"If Sharona was here right now – I highly doubt you would be feeling like this, Mr. Monk. If Sharona was here by your side; than there would be no way in hell that you would give up." The blood rose in Natalie's cheeks.

"I'm not giving up, Natalie, I'm just waiting." Monk said.

Natalie waved her hands at her sides, "Waiting for what? For Sharona to come to her senses and come running back too you? Let me tell you something Mr. Monk, Sharona Flemming is never coming back. You know why? Seriously do you want too know the real reason why she'll never return too you?"

"Natalie..." Monk tried to break in.

"Sharona Flemming knows what a helpless case you truly are Mr. Adrian Monk! She'll never willing or freely come back to you!" Natalie breathed in deep and quickly. Her eyes widen as she just realized what she had just said.

Not to her boss. But to her friend.

Monk's face paled and his chocolate eyes grew dewy.

"Oh God Mr. Monk, I'm so-" Natalie began.

"Don't." Monk said in a low voice. "Just don't." He turned and walked away. His left hand reached out to touch each lamp post that he passed.

"Shit." Natalie breathed.

"I'm going to follow him, make sure he makes it home all right." Randy said as he slowly followed after Monk on foot.

"We need too talk." Stottlemery said without taking his eyes from Monk's back.

"I need to call Doctor Kroger. Perhaps he can recommend another full time nurse. Obviously I'm not what Mr. Monk needs." Natalie felt tears roll down her cheeks. "Perhaps I can track down Sharona and beg her to come back to Mr. Monk."

"If you make one move to track Sharona Flemming down, then I'll be placing you under arrest Natalie Teeger. I'll take Julie away from you; and make sure that you never see or talk to your daughter ever again." Stottlemery growled low in his throat.

"I understand." Natalie replied. "Than Dr. Kroger and you need to find someone else for Mr. Monk. I'm just doing more harm than good for him."

Leland's head swung around, "You are one of the best things in Monk's life, Natalie, all because you blew up just now doesn't change that. Yes you hurt Monk to the core with your unjust anger against Sharona. But he will never hold it against you. You need to sit and talk this out with him."

"How can I talk too him about this? I barley talk to him about Trudy. That was the love of his life, his soul mate. Sharona was the first woman besides Trudy whom truly saw Mr. Adrian Monk for whom he truly is. Not all his OCD's."

"You are the third." Leland placed a gentle hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "I'm no shrink, hell I don't know much about relationships, romance, friendship, just a acquiescence even. I'm just a cop that loves the job. I'm more comfortable around dead bodies than I'm around live ones. Expect for a few people. Adrian Monk, Trudy Monk, Randy Disher, Sharona Flemming, and you. You five are my family. I lost one family member to death. I lost another family member due to overwhelming circumstances that caused her to run away. I'll be damned to loose another family member."

"I never asked too be part of this family." Natalie growled out lowly. "I'm all ready part of a very dysfunctional family; I don't need to be added to another. Neither does my daughter."

"So this is your way of existing." Leland snorted. "I hate too tell you Natalie; but you are into _this _dysfunctional family for life. The moment you agreed to be Monk's assistant you threw your, and Julie's lot in with us for life." Waving his right hand, "You just proved it by being upset once you realized what you said about Sharona."

"I never wanted to feel anything for anyone ever again, expect for Julie." Natalie breathed in, and out slowly. "After Mitch …. it was just too damn painful."

"Than Adrian Monk entered your life." Leland said.

"When I first met him while he was investigating the murder that I commented – I figured that I was safe. Even if I met up with Mr. Adrian Monk again after I was cleared – he was too annoying to even think of actually caring for him. Then he came to me with his proclamation. He promised a long time steady job – pay above anything that I would ever make in hum dum public relation jobs. I would be able to spend as much time with my daughter as I needed – no questions asked." Natalie wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "H-how could I pass it up. Even though it meant spending a lot of time every single day with my boss – the work seemed like what I did in my own home. Hell, he even said that if he spent the day at my house – he would still pay me as I was doing my own housework."

Leland allowed Natalie to continue on talking. As a detective he was good at letting people talk. The more they talk on their own; the more information they let leek out about themselves. It helped him put away a lot criminals – also it helped him understand his friends and family better.

"It was a dream job. I mean yeah I was nervous of always being around my boss – being in his home; alone. But I had gotten Mr. Monk down as a decent man while he was clearing me from murder. I knew that I didn't have to worry about him trying to get into my pants. I knew that my daughter would be safe around him." Natalie sighed. "I jumped into with both feet. I should have said no."

"Are you in love with Adrian Monk?" Leland asked.

"Yes." Natalie looked to the right. "I love him like I would a brother. I feel like he's my little brother whom needs to be protected against all the hurt in the world. Even through he's two years older than I am. He just needs to be protected is all."

"I agree." Leland sighed. "Sharona never felt like that. To her Adrian Monk could take care of himself. Always could. She hated his OCD with a passion. She hated the murder whom killed Trudy."

"She's in love with him." N Natalie sighed. "Not as a sister loves a brother. She's in love with him as a woman a man. She left because she knows that no matter how much time – even when Mr. Monk solves Trudy's murder – he would never return her love."

Natalie wrapped her arms tightly across her chest, "I hate her for that. I hate that she abandoned Mr. Monk all due to an unrequited love. How dare she hurt him due to an damn hurt heart! Sharona fully knows that Mr. Monk needs her in his life. She just up and left. She just left a damn note. Didn't she even think how Mr. Monk would feel with her abandonment? Didn't she even think that perhaps that her leaving would send Mr. Monk back into his depression? How would he be able to function without her? How the hell did she think that he would be able to hire another personal assistant!"

"She didn't." Leland sighed. "She worried every single second since she had first made her decision. She almost backed out until she realized how she could ultimately destroy Benji's life watching his mother grow into a deep depression due to an unrequited love."

Natalie's body turned quickly, "You _knew_!"

"I didn't know until after the fact." Leland's hands rose to defend his face. He had heard that Natalie had one mean left hook. Her right one wasn't all that bad either.

"When I discovered that Sharona did the bunk, I called her cell. I laid into her demanding her to get her ass back to Monk's, and do her job." Leland sighed deeply. "She was in tears, Natalie, tears. She told me that what she was doing was best for everyone involved. That it was time for her to move on with her life – to think of Benji's needs finally. Benji needed his father in his life, and she accepted Trevor back into their lives."

"He hit her in the past." Natalie growled out. "How did she know that he would never strike her again? Or strike her son?"

"She regrets her rash decision." Leland sighed. "Trevor has smacked her around. Not in front of Benji thank God. She finally left him when he threatened to kill her due to her love for Monk."

"Oh God." Natalie breathed.

"She has a restraining order against Trevor for the rest of Benji's life. If Trevor even gets within two states of her or Benji he'll be arrested. The restraining order protects Sharona even when Benji is an adult; and out on his own." Leland sighed deeply. "This has only happened two days ago."

"Mr. Monk needs to know." Natalie softly said. "Now. He needs to get Sharona and Benji back to San Francisco to protect them."

"Sharona doesn't want Monk to know." Leland sighed.

"Shit." Natalie said. "How selfish can that damn woman be?" Her anger against Sharona rose more higher than ever before.

"It's not for you to get Monk to get Sharona back home where she belongs." Leland said. "You just need to be there for Monk as he goes through what he has too go through. If you try too force the issue than you will lose all the ground that you had grained with Monk."

Natalie sighed, "I hate this. But, I'll go along with this."

Leland turned and walked to his car. His head twisted as he silently watched the side profile of Natalie for a few more minutes. Sighing deeply he climbed into his car. Driving off leaving Natalie alone lost in her thoughts.

**END OF PRELUDE**


End file.
